Teamsters Weekly Updates, Ending January 25, 2019

Hoffa: Teamsters Back Bipartisan House Legislation to Repeal Cadillac Tax: The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa about legislation reintroduced by Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) that would repeal the 40 percent excise tax on comprehensive health insurance plans included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as the “Cadillac Tax”.

Teamsters Take Part in Government Shutdown Protest on Capitol Hill: Teamsters, unions that represent federal workers and their allies participated in a protest at the U.S. Capitol earlier today. The action was done to show solidarity with federal workers who are either furloughed or working without pay due to the government shutdown which began December 22, 2018.

Hoffa, Teamsters Call on Congress to Reopen Government: Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa joined other labor leaders at a rally today in the nation’s capital to call for an end of a partial federal government shutdown that has left 800,000 government workers without a paycheck for nearly a month.

In Gesture of Solidarity, Teamsters Local 357 Delivers Lunch to Air Traffic Controllers: Yesterday, as a gesture of union solidarity, members of the Teamsters Local 357 Executive Board led a group of Teamsters employed by Republic Airline on a visit to the Indianapolis International Airport Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACON) to bring lunch to air traffic controllers. The air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay due to the government shutdown, are members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

VP Herrera Discusses Plight of Sanitation Workers: Ron Herrera, a Teamster International Vice President and Director of the Solid Waste and Recycling Division, spoke to Ed “Flash” Ferenc on America’s Work Force Radio today about the Martin Luther King Day Parade in Memphis this week and how the civil rights icon stood up for waste workers. The struggle for these workers, Herrera notes, continues today.

BLET Members Ratify New Contracts with W&LE: Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) overwhelmingly ratified two new collective bargaining agreements with the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) — one for the craft of locomotive engineer and one for the craft of trainman. Each seven-year agreement governs work rules, rates of pay, and health & welfare issues for approximately 75 locomotive engineers and over 130 trainmen. Ballots were counted on January 18.

International Women’s Day 2019: 2019 is the centenary year of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), incorporating the Women at Work Initiative. Therefore, this International Women’s Day (IWD) is a great and important time in history to celebrate the contribution made by women transport workers, whilst highlighting the changes that still need to be made in order for women and men to live and work with equal status in the transport industry

Teamsters Honor Dr. King's Legacy at Memphis Parade: On the third Monday of January each year, unions, workers and people from across the nation gather to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his final public act standing with city sanitation workers who were striking for better working conditions and a strong union.

Teamsters Make Girl Scout Cookies Possible: There are only two bakery factories in the U.S. that make and bake the famous girl scout cookies—the Interbake Foods bakery in North Sioux City, S.D. and the Little Brownie Bakers bakery in Louisville, Ky.—and Teamster members work at both.

NEWS ARTICLES

Hoffa: Teamsters Back Bipartisan House Legislation to Repeal Cadillac Tax Reps. Courtney, Kelly Unveil Bill to End Surcharge on Comprehensive Health Plans: (WASHINGTON) – The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa about legislation reintroduced by Reps. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) that would repeal the 40 percent excise tax on comprehensive health insurance plans included in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as the “Cadillac Tax”.
“The Teamsters commend this bipartisan legislation offered by Reps. Courtney and Kelly that would eliminate this harmful tax on quality health care plans. This surcharge would only hurt working men and women who would see their premiums rise if nothing is done.
“Congress should be fighting for ways to improve the livelihoods of working Americans and opposing policies that will ultimately take money from their hard-earned paychecks and reduce, and make more costly, the health care benefits they receive. This legislation would ensure that these workers’ wallets are protected.
“The Teamsters urge lawmakers to support this effort to protect the benefits of many of their middle-class constituents.
“It is unconscionable that hardworking Americans could have this draconian penalty assessed on benefits they’ve fought hard to receive, while many employers scale back their health care offerings and raise the cost to their workers without consequence. Where is the fairness in such a policy?”

Teamsters Take Part in Government Shutdown Protest on Capitol Hill: (WASHINGTON) Teamsters, unions that represent federal workers and their allies participated in a protest at the U.S. Capitol earlier today. The action was done to show solidarity with federal workers who are either furloughed or working without pay due to the government shutdown which began December 22, 2018.
The protesters, a crowd that included many federal workers who are going without pay, occupied the atrium of Hart Senate Office Building for a 33-minute silent demonstration—one minute for every day the government has been closed since a congressional budget deadline expired in December of last year. After the 33 minutes of silence ended, workers joined together in chanting "No more food banks! Feds need paychecks!"
More than 800,000 workers have been forced to go without pay since the government shutdown, and many more have been cut off from the important services that the workers provide. The protest is the most recent of many that have taken place in our nation’s capital demanding that the shutdown, the longest in American history, be ended as soon as possible.
Last week General President James P. Hoffa joined a labor coalition in demanding that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell [R-KY] hold a vote on a funding bill approved by the House earlier this month that would fully reopen the government and provide back pay for both federal employees and contractors.
“800,000 people are not getting a paycheck, some they say are essential,” Hoffa said. “I think that you’re all essential. Everybody is essential, everybody has to live in this country. Congress is getting paid, but the most essential people, the government workers, aren’t getting paid. I call for them to go on and do their job!”

Hoffa, Teamsters Call on Congress to Reopen Government: Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa joined other labor leaders at a rally today in the nation’s capital to call for an end of a partial federal government shutdown that has left 800,000 government workers without a paycheck for nearly a month.
Speaking outside of Nationals Park, Hoffa said it is time for the Senate to vote on a funding bill approved by the House earlier this month that would fully reopen the government and allow not only federal workers but contractors as well to return to the job with pay.
“We all know what’s going on,” Hoffa told union workers, including many Teamsters, in attendance. “We are here to rally with you and call for the vote. It’s time for this to come to an end.”
He added, “Congress is getting paid, but the most essential people, the government workers, aren’t getting paid. I call for them to go on and do their job!”
Today’s rally marks the second such gathering in as many weeks. Thousands showed up at similar events outside the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington and all over the country on Jan. 10 demanding that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stop holding workers hostage as part of the shutdown.

In Gesture of Solidarity, Teamsters Local 357 Delivers Lunch to Air Traffic Controllers Republic Airline Teamsters and TRACON Air Traffic Controllers Seeking to Raise Awareness of Safety Issues, Community Impact of Government Shutdown: (INDIANAPOLIS) – Yesterday, as a gesture of union solidarity, members of the Teamsters Local 357 Executive Board led a group of Teamsters employed by Republic Airline on a visit to the Indianapolis International Airport Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACON) to bring lunch to air traffic controllers. The air traffic controllers, who have been working without pay due to the government shutdown, are members of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
Local 357 President Josh LeBlanc is a Republic Airline Pilot who has been with the company for over 18 years. He emphasized that the government shutdown was having a negative impact on pilots not just at Republic Airline, but all across the country.
“We are doing this to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters in aviation who are affected by the federal government shutdown and to bring awareness to the many different issues this continued shutdown is creating,” LeBlanc said.
“The air traffic controllers are still working so the planes can keep flying, but not much else is getting done. There are pilots who need special issuance medical certificates to fly, and they can’t get them because so much of the FAA is furloughed. That’s just one example of the many ways that the government shutdown is having a negative impact on the efficiency of our aviation infrastructure. There needs to be a resolution as soon as possible.”

VP Herrera Discusses Plight of Sanitation Workers: Ron Herrera, a Teamster International Vice President and Director of the Solid Waste and Recycling Division, spoke to Ed “Flash” Ferenc on America’s Work Force Radio today about the Martin Luther King Day Parade in Memphis this week and how the civil rights icon stood up for waste workers. The struggle for these workers, Herrera notes, continues today.

BLET Members Ratify New Contracts With W&LE:INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, January 21 — Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) overwhelmingly ratified two new collective bargaining agreements with the Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway (W&LE) — one for the craft of locomotive engineer and one for the craft of trainman. Each seven-year agreement governs work rules, rates of pay, and health & welfare issues for approximately 75 locomotive engineers and over 130 trainmen. Ballots were counted on January 18.
A 79 percent majority of voting members ratified the engineer contract, while an 80 percent majority of voting members ratified the trainman contract.
The agreements run through 2026 and provide significant signing bonuses based on years of service. The engineer’s agreement provides general wage increases of 65.4 percent over the life of the agreement while the conductor’s agreement provides a 62.9 percent general wage increase.
Most significantly, the agreement contains no harmful work rule changes to either craft.
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce thanked recently retired National Vice President Cole W. Davis, NS-W&LE General Chairman Randy Fannon, and their negotiating team for bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion.
“This is a significant victory for our members and for our Brotherhood,” President Pierce said. “I am proud to thank Brother Davis and Brother Fannon for their leadership and thank our W&LE members for their perseverance and for taking the time to vote during the balloting process.”
The negotiating process began over seven years ago when the BLET served Section 6 notices on January 5, 2012.
“I want to thank our Brothers for the solidarity they have shown throughout this lengthy process,” General Chairman Fannon said. “They have remained united and steadfast through the mediation, the strike, and the fight.”
Headquartered in Brewster, Ohio, the W&LE incorporates approximately 840 miles of trackage in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. The W&LE handles over 140,000 carloads annually and interchanges with three Class I railroads (CSX, Canadian National and Norfolk Southern) and 16 regional, short line and switching railroads.

International Women’s Day 2019 Your Chance to Win on International Women’s Day 2019: 2019 is the centenary year of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), incorporating the Women at Work Initiative. Therefore, this International Women’s Day (IWD) is a great and important time in history to celebrate the contribution made by women transport workers, whilst highlighting the changes that still need to be made in order for women and men to live and work with equal status in the transport industry.
As we plan our 2019 activities, we would like to encourage all ITF affiliates to make sure women transport workers’ voices are heard loudly amidst the global efforts to celebrate women's achievements and to tenaciously challenge bias. The ITF women’s conference held in Marrakech in November 2017 gave birth to the demand #ThisIsOurWorldToo when Seafarer and ITF Women Transport Workers’ Committee member, Jasmin Labarda, led a call to action where delegates posted selfies online calling for other women to feel encouraged to work in the sector. SHARE AND YOU COULD WIN!
This year we are asking affiliates to celebrate the positive role women play in our industry, and the contribution the union has made to support more women to enter and remain in transport work. This aligns perfectly with the global theme for IWD this year of #BalanceforBetter, so please make sure you use both hashtags when sharing any social media posts.
We will send the most inspiring contributor 20 #ThisIsOurWorldToo badges to share with women colleagues (we have them in a number of languages) which were very popular at the women’s conference at the ITF Congress in Singapore last October.
The ITF will be celebrating women transport workers who have work in jobs in the transport industry traditionally dominated by men, on social media. So please keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages and share with your networks.
SHARE YOUR ACTION STORIES: With consent of the participants, please send through your campaign activity, photos and/or videos to [email protected] by 29 March so we can add them to our website.
In solidarity, Jodi Evans, ITF Women Transport Workers and Gender Equality Officer

Teamsters Honor Dr. King's Legacy at Memphis Parade: On the third Monday of January each year, unions, workers and people from across the nation gather to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his final public act standing with city sanitation workers who were striking for better working conditions and a strong union.
Today, in an annual community march through Memphis, Teamsters from coast-to-coast joined with scores of workers and unions in a memorable event to honor Dr. King, organized by Teamsters Local 667, NAACP and AFSCME. Click here to see photos from the event.
“It means a lot to me to be down here to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King," James Jones, President of Memphis-based Teamsters Local 667, said. "We have to always remember what he stood for. Dr. King lives on. We’re not down here for selfishness; we’re down here for love.”
A common theme of love, humanity, equality and unity echoed with each speaker at the event. Teamsters International Vice President Ron Herrera spoke to the crowd about building a foundation of unity and continuing the fight for worker justice.
“I want to give a shout out to all my labor brothers and sisters out here. To me Memphis is about unity, about sticking together - the community and labor fighting side by side,” said Herrera, who is also Secretary-Treasurer of Local 396 in Los Angeles.
It’s been nearly 51-years since Dr. King came to Memphis and stood alongside the sanitation workers on the strike line for 65 days, fighting for workers’ rights and civil rights. And the magnitude of what this day means is best summed up by a man who saw it and lived it.
“Martin Luther King came down here for the sanitation workers, and I marched with him," said Baxter Leach, one of the orginal 1968 sanitation strikers who was recognized as the Grand Marshal of today's parade. "But he came down here for everybody. I thank God you invited me here today and I am proud to continue the struggle for this generation for workers’ rights and civil rights.”

Teamsters Make Girl Scout Cookies Possible: There are only two bakery factories in the U.S. that make and bake the famous girl scout cookies—the Interbake Foods bakery in North Sioux City, S.D. and the Little Brownie Bakers bakery in Louisville, Ky.—and Teamster members work at both.
“We’ve represented the warehouse, shipping/receiving and bakery machine maintenance workers at Interbake Foods for at least the past 20 years,” said Kim Quick, President of Local 554 in Sioux City, S.D. “My favorite Girl Scout Cookie is Caramel deLite.”
“Bakers, line operators, mixers, forklift drivers, stackers, wrappers, caramel mixers and mechanics are some of the many job classifications we represent at Little Brownie Bakers,” said John Stovall, President of Local 783 which has represented the bakery employees for over 20 years.
The factories run seven days a week, and they produce girl scout cookies at least ten months out of the year. According to Girl Scouts of the USA, the cookie program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world. The cookie program is also intended to teach five important life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.
“We are proud that our members have an integral part in the production of Girl Scout Cookies. Our skilled members ensure that the cookies are made with high production standards, just like all Teamster products,” said Dave Dudas, Director, of the Bakery and Laundry Conference.
Girl Scout cookie sales are seasonal, but fortunately, that season is going on right now! All of the proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie sales stay local and provide financing for field trips, community services and the other activities girl scouts partake in to help girls thrive throughout childhood and adulthood. Click here to find a location near you for buying girl scout cookies. For a gallery of workers at the factory, click here.

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